Controversy about reversibility of cysts in cystic cystitis in children.

Most cystic cystitis cases in children exhibit cysts for an extended period, even after successful treatment of the underlying infection. Not much is known about the dynamics of cyst appearance and disappearance. In long-term follow-up some clinicians suggest complete eradication of the cysts. Contrary, histological studies describe the cystic cystitis as an irreversible process in von Brunn's nests. The endoscopic differentiation from reversible follicular cystitis is hard and uncertain. A group of 21 children with cystic cystitis was diagnosed and staged in a 10-year period. All of them clinically presented with recurrent uroinfections. We examined cystoscopic changes of cystic cystitis before and during the treatment of urinary infection to find objective signs of improvement in endoscopic findings after prolonged antibiotic therapy. Control cystoscopy was performed after a period of six infection-free months. In the average period of 20 months after the beginning of treatment there were no changes in cystic cystitis stage. The examined period seems to be too short for the changes of cystic cystitis to disappear. It is unclear if prolonged antibacterial treatment bears any influence on the number of cysts.